Determining value: When does a knife cost too much?

[Bastler]

I just remind my wife that in our 20s we used to blow thru $300 at the bars nearly every weekend.

And I thought that I used to drink too much.

 

[Dadpool]

So, how do you determine value and what is worth a lit of money?

For me, the answer to the question you posed in your title is, "When it costs so much that I won't be able to bring myself to use it, or to tolerate any imperfections in it."

I've found that above ~$300, I'm too unwilling to use a knife to justify owning it. I've also found that the perfection I expect at and beyond that price point is rare.

The few I own in that price range are perfect enough, and priced just "low" enough, for my lizard brain to actually enjoy them.

 

[Danke42]

For me it "costs" too much when it's not worth it. Lots of inexpensive knife shaped objects fit that bill since their lower cost is out weighted by the even lower performance.

Why waste money on something that won't hold an edge or cut when you need it to cut.

 

[FullMetalJackass]

When it's a Medford

 

[Luftig]

My wife asked me a question last night, after watching me go a few rounds on a different thread. Her question was basically this ( I’m paraphrasing). Why are you willing to spend 250.00 dollars on a personal knife you never use, but won’t spend over 100.00 dollars on a work/utility knife. For me the answer is a bit nuanced.


Benchmade, Spyderco, Protech etc. all make really fine knives. Unfortunately, for utility purposes, I feel some of their blades can be too hard. I use my utility blades fairly often and I work them hard. I need a blade that can take the punishment but it also needs to be able to take a quick edge. Why should I spend that type of money when a decently priced Kershaw will do the same thing? Do I really need to spend 200.00 on a knife that will cut boxes, cord and other soft material? If so, why? So I can say I have a 200.00 knife?


On the other hand, when it comes to personal defense/emergencies, I want a knife with superb blade quality. I want a blade that is at least 3.5 inches ( though 4 is ideal) with excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance. I don’t care about how difficult it is to sharpen, I don’t plan on using it. If I do it’s because my plane or car crashed and I need to cut the restraints and break my way out. Or my weapon has jammed and I’m transitioning to my knife as last ditch. Maybe I got lost hiking and I need it their. My point is, when it comes to your life and emergencies, you don’t skimp on quality, and quality is expensive.


So, how do you determine value and what is worth a lit of money?

The value of a knife in currency is simply what you are willing to pay for it. Functionally, often a box cutter may do the job, but I do not want to a box cutter to carry. The other day while I had a $400 knife came the opportunity to use it on a inexpensive bottle of wine getting part of the cap off. I whipped out my knife, handed it to the person opening the wine and it worked, leaving a scratch on my blade. I just pocketed the knife, it was my fault, what good is a knife I will not use when needed, or do I limit it for only needs that justify such an expensive tool. It was then I realized, it’s just a collectable toy. No different than a mechanical automatic watch, or a vintage corvette, or even a piece of art. Carry tools you will use, bring toys for fun, do not confuse the two or you will regret it. I have a knife collection, investment wise a terrible choice, but as I do not plan to sell them and enjoy going through the rotation of what I carry, maybe they are all fine choice. Here I am, getting old, as we all are, and thinking whom I may leave these too. I have given many away and I think they are getting more actual use then when I owned them. Most will never be appreciated the way I do and perhaps I should sell them. Reality, they are just stuff and you can’t take it with you. Would I be happy with one knife, no, still in search of the grail, I guess? Maybe it makes no difference. I inherited a collection of things from my father that have no meaning other than they were from my father. The only one I treasure are two knives of little value to the market, two knives that just site in the collection. My children whom never got to meet their grandfather will not see the value and may not even differentiate them from mine. Such is life. I have been eyeing another knife I may never use. Life goes on.

 

[000Robert]

For me any knife that doesn’t perform or function as intended no matter how little it cost is paying to much. As a professional mechanic for 43 years I’ve learned that a cheap tool that is poorly made and designed will cost you more in the long run than paying for the excellent quality tool that does the job without fail. Some have mentioned about Snap-on and Craftsman tools. Well there are some exceptions but I’ve had craftsman end wrenches fail and wear out when I really needed them to perform. I’ve never had a Snap-on end wrench fail me. I’ve had some that finally wore out after years of daily use but that’s expected. Especially 1/2 and 9/16 size end wrenches and sockets. I’ve had craftsman and other low cost tools break the first day !
Then there’s the gold plated limited edition versions that are made to look at. I won’t comment on them.

I always loved Snap-On tools myself. I also loved Matco wrenches. I love Wera and Wiha tools as well. I love vintage Dumont tweezers.
I love my iFixit tools also. I have heard people here on BFC talk bad about iFixit driver bit sets, but my bit set is flawless. I bought mine several years ago that came in a wooden box set, 130 piece. They don't sell them anymore. I have used mine on everything including gunsmithing. They don't have a scratch on them, and there have been a few times that I was sure that I damaged them. But I cleaned them up and they still looked brand new.
I can't vouch for the newer sets, but mine is exceptional.

 

[dirc]

since it sounds like the op is an electrician, he should just get a sog kilowatt for around $45
it's aus8, a good budget steel... not high end, but good for general use & even some hard use

personally, my simple approach is; don't edc a knife if you're worried about scratching it, an edc is meant to be used

safe queens are fine (with higher budgets if thats your thing), but keep them in a safe

 

[panicandrew]

I suppose it's just like anything else, right? You can buy a $20 set of cutlery at Walmart and be fine for years. But you can head to even Bed Bath & Beyond and find $500 cutlery sets, and if you want to look a bit further you'll find there's a community much like BladeForums but for gosh darn butter knives and spoons. In some ways it might even be a sign of wealth, not a sign for others, a hidden sign for myself. Something to reward myself for. I got a nice fat 20% raise at work a couple of months ago, bought a Sebenza. I got a nice referral bonus of a few thousand at work around Christmas, that turned into a Hinderer.

There are some things I skimp on, some things I go crazy with. Knives are becoming the latter for me, especially because it's something I actually can carry and "enjoy" daily. Even though I'm an office worker, having my meticulously crafted carry knife on me to.. touch.. and caress.. and enjoy.. is the reason why I can justify a few $500 knives. But I'm also the type who spends $1000 on an office chair though, and wont buy a $400 mattress or anything. If you use it daily, it's probably worth the investment. We can spend $20k on a daily driver car that we spend a total of 2-3 hours in a week, why not spend a few hundred bucks on something you carry on your person?

 

[Shorttime]

$150.00

Bought a Mini-CQC-7, tried to carry it. Too expensive to enjoy properly. Started looking at Spider Monkey knives, and realized that the problem wouldn't be solved by throwing more money at it.

Set myself a hard ceiling of $150.00, so that I could filter out all the stuff I would be scared to use, because I would be scared to scuff it.

 

[Billy The Hungry]

Everyone has their own gauge.

I paid $285 for my Ultratech. I love the knife, but I do regret it.

I paid $150 for my PM2. I feel like I paid $50 too much.

I love both of these knives though. Loving the knives isnt the problem. But getting them scratched and beat up for me, is a problem. I find myself not using them.

I have found my personal sweet spot is around $70. That gives me a quality knife that I'm not as afraid to actually use.

That is just me, personally. Someone else with an income double or tripple mine will have a different standard.

 

[justjed]

When does it cost too much? When it doesn't do the job you got it to do.

A knife is just a tool for cutting stuff. If it will cut the stuff you need cut, at a price you're willing to pay, it's priced just right! That being said, there's nothing wrong if it looks good doing its job, or has a cool mechanism, a super-steel, or whatever. THAT'S what we pay extra for. Can't put a price on pride in ownership!

My EDC box knife, a White River Sendero Classic, cost me $300. It has also carved a few hams and turkeys. And it's cut everything else I have asked it to, within reason. The thin blade did NOT like kevlar banding, btw! Lesson learned! But it has cut everything I have thrown at it. I could do the same with a cheaper knife, but this is the only way I can afford a Jerry Fisk design, built to my preferred level of quality. I also have a Blackjack Magnum Camp Knife, as well as a Becker BK-5, also Fisk designs, although the Becker has been modified from the original design somewhat. But I digress. In my opinion, $300 for a true EDC knife is a bargain.

Regardless, as long as YOU don't think you spent too much, you're PROBABLY alright....

 

[Andy the Aussie]

When you don't have the money to buy it.

Everyone has their own gauge.

.....these two statement probably sum it up for me, hard to qualify and quantify what for each of us is a very very personal issue.

 

[Mohave Aviator]

Back when I needed knives, like for work, I had a price cap of $300 per knife. I didn't have to pay that much for a knife that would serve my needs, but there were a few knives that I wanted for reasons beyond their utilitarian usefulness, and I was willing to pay up to $300 just because I really liked them (below are two of my work knives, they each cost $300).

Nowadays I hardly need knives at all. And I have all the quality "users" I could ever need over multiple lifetimes. So now how much I'm willing to spend on a knife is based entirely on how much enjoyment I think I will get from owning the knife.

And now I'm going a bit off topic here- Why I will never buy from Craftsman (Sears) ever again.

I'm not what I would call an "activist shopper". I don't do a deep dive background check into every product I wish to buy or every company I'm considering buying from. But once in awhile I learn about wrongdoing that I consider so egregious that I will never buy from a person or company.

A man named Dan Brown, an American, invented a new type of wrench. Sears liked the wrench so much, and saw so much potential in it that they approached Mr. Brown and offered a partnership, Sears wanted to sell Mr. Brown's wrench. Mr. Brown liked the idea of a partnership with such a trustworthy American company and agreed.

After selling many wrenches together, Sears took Mr. Browns design without his knowledge or permission, had it made in China, renamed it, and then ended their partnership with Mr. Brown. Sears went on to sell Mr. Browns wrench design, but paid him nothing.

I won't type out the entire story, it goes on. The story has been widely covered by the news media, that's how I became aware of it. Anyone interested can Google "Sears steals wrench".

Sorry for going off topic. I'm not saying that anyone in this thread is endorsing Craftsman. And I don't think any less of people who buy from Craftsman or Sears.

I agree with you 100% on general principle. That said, be careful. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Prov 18:17) I’m not saying what you said is untrue. I am not familiar with the issue. I’m only suggesting that you work hard to hear the other side. And maybe you have friend, I’m not trying to make accusations to label anyone. I just believe it’s good advice. A lot of people will believe the first version of a story they hear without ever getting the other parties story.

 

[hhmoore]

The knife that will serve you best is the one you have with you when you need it.

When does a knife cost too much? That answer will vary from person to person, as has already been shown...for me, it's between 09:00-13:00 on Tuesdays.
An alternate response would be when the buyer leaves it home due to an unwillingness to risk marring it. I like my knives when they're new and pretty...but I like them more once I've used them a bit.
My biggest regrets regarding cost come when I realize that I don't like a knife enough to carry/use. (I do have some knives, particularly fixed blades, that I've never used - not because of their monetary value, but because they simply aren't practical as users in my world. I bought them knowing that, and appreciate them for what they are)

 

[catspa]

Wait a minute, MM68. Ceramic frogs?

Whatever function ceramic frogs perform, it’s going un-performed in my life. I have not a single one, no collection, don’t even look for them at swap meets. I’m banned on FrogForums cause I’m not even qualified to have an opinion about them. So in their thread “when is a ceramic frog too expensive”, I can’t post my answer “when it costs more than free.”

Not so with knives. I’m kind of a cheap old bastard, so I tend to buy used or broken knives cheap. They don’t cost much money, but the time I put into them...

It pleases me to put a castoff knife or tool back in working condition. I’ll be out in the shop while you guys are buying new knives.

Parker

 

[Mohave Aviator]

Back when I needed knives, like for work, I had a price cap of $300 per knife. I didn't have to pay that much for a knife that would serve my needs, but there were a few knives that I wanted for reasons beyond their utilitarian usefulness, and I was willing to pay up to $300 just because I really liked them (below are two of my work knives, they each cost $300).

Nowadays I hardly need knives at all. And I have all the quality "users" I could ever need over multiple lifetimes. So now how much I'm willing to spend on a knife is based entirely on how much enjoyment I think I will get from owning the knife.

And now I'm going a bit off topic here- Why I will never buy from Craftsman (Sears) ever again.

I'm not what I would call an "activist shopper". I don't do a deep dive background check into every product I wish to buy or every company I'm considering buying from. But once in awhile I learn about wrongdoing that I consider so egregious that I will never buy from a person or company.

A man named Dan Brown, an American, invented a new type of wrench. Sears liked the wrench so much, and saw so much potential in it that they approached Mr. Brown and offered a partnership, Sears wanted to sell Mr. Brown's wrench. Mr. Brown liked the idea of a partnership with such a trustworthy American company and agreed.

After selling many wrenches together, Sears took Mr. Browns design without his knowledge or permission, had it made in China, renamed it, and then ended their partnership with Mr. Brown. Sears went on to sell Mr. Browns wrench design, but paid him nothing.

I won't type out the entire story, it goes on. The story has been widely covered by the news media, that's how I became aware of it. Anyone interested can Google "Sears steals wrench".

Sorry for going off topic. I'm not saying that anyone in this thread is endorsing Craftsman. And I don't think any less of people who buy from Craftsman or Sears.

I agree with you 100% on general principle. That said, be careful. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Prov 18:17) I’m not saying what you said is untrue. I am not familiar with the issue. I’m only suggesting that you work hard to hear the other side. And maybe you have friend, I’m not trying to make accusations to label anyone. I just believe it’s good advice. A lot of people will believe the first version of a story they hear without ever getting the other parties story.

 

[abcdef]

Determining value: When does a knife cost too much?

Always, just like everything else.

 

[Shorttime]

I’ll be out in the shop while you guys are buying new knives.

Parker

What can I say? Some of us like to look....

 

[Danke42]

I agree with you 100% on general principle. That said, be careful. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Prov 18:17) I’m not saying what you said is untrue. I am not familiar with the issue. I’m only suggesting that you work hard to hear the other side. And maybe you have friend, I’m not trying to make accusations to label anyone. I just believe it’s good advice. A lot of people will believe the first version of a story they hear without ever getting the other parties story.

Well that is a great example (Proverb 18:17) because you're the guy who stated your case first and then was roundly dismantled in cross examination.

 

[not2sharp]

My favorite fence tool is over 100 years old. Quality only cost once.

When it comes to knives; the qualitative evaluation should revolve around those factors that are relevant to the user. A knife may clearly be objectively better in every way and yet provide less utility to the user than a far more humble knife. Issues like, how comfortable does it feel in the user’s hand, how comfortably it carry, how easily it sharpens, how acceptable is it in the environment it is intended to be used, or how easily it can be replaced if lost; can far outweigh the asking price or the metallurgy.

If your thing involves opening sacks of concrete mix or cutting carpet, then perhaps that disposable utility razor is far better than the $2k-3k custom folder. Knives don’t really optimize at an ideal point, which is why we have such a rich variety of them.


n2s